Equipment for compacting comminuted materials or the like



March 31, 1959 c. w. VOGT 2,879,922

EQUIPMENT FOR COMPACTING COMMINUTED MATERIALS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 26.1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CLARENCE VV. l/oci'r C. W. VOGT March31, 1959 EQUIPMENT FOR COMPACTING COMMINUTED MATERIALS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLARENCE W l/OGT Unit d Sat s P enw EQUIPMENT FOR COMPACTENG COMMINUTED MATERIALS OR THE LIKEClarence W. Vogt, Weston, Conn.

Application November 26, 1956, Serial No. 624,421

10 Claims. (Cl. 22218,9).

This invention relates to equipment for compacting finely divided orcomminuted materials or the like, and more particularly to a magazinefor such material to be used in conjunction with a blowing head forforcing the material from web magazine.

, Where. comminuted material is .forced into a suitable receptable bythe application of gas under pressure from the outlet at the bottom of amagazine charged with such material, where the gas channels through thematerial and discharges through such outlet into the receptacle, thematerial will not be efifectively compacted in the receptable. It isaccordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a magazinethatmay be used in conjunction with a blowing head, which magazine isrelatively simple in construction, has no moving parts and minimizes thechanneling of gas therethrough to provide effective compacting ofthematerial in a receptacle.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by thearrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described andparticularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the equipment,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the blowing head and magazine.

Referring now to the drawings, the equipment desirably comprises a baseplate 11 which has a pair of supports or standards 12 and 13, the formerbeing a hollow cylinder defining a gas reservoirwhich maybe charged fromany suitable source through a valve 14-. Extending transversely betweenstandards 12 and 13 and slidably mounted thereon, is a verticallyadjustable support 15 which mounts a blowing head 16, pref erably of thetype shown in co-pending application for Blowing Head For PackagingApparatus, Serial No. 620,531, filed November 5, 1956.

As shown in Fig. 3, the blowing head comprises a casing 21 having aninlet 22 in its top wall and an outlet 23 in its bottom wall. Generallycircular openings 24, 25 are formed in the opposed sides 26, 27, of thecasing 21 over which are mounted generallydisclikecover plates 28, 29,each having a cavity 3 1 thereother rigid material.

as a rubber ring 41 is mounted in a recess 42 formed in the undersurfaceof the top wall of the casing around inlet 22. The ring '41 provides anefiective seal but permits rotation of said ball valve member. The lowerportion of the ball valve 36 is engaged by the curved seat 43 of asupporting ring 44 formed of metal or The ring 44 is slidably mounted inthe outlet 23 and is normally raised upwardly by means of a spring 45interposed between a flange 46 on the ring 44 and a retaining ring 47detachably mounted on the bottom of the casing 21 as by screw The ring47 has an annular extension 49 which extends into a complementaryopening 51 in the support 15 and screws 52 which extend through flanges53atopposite sides of the casing 21 secure the latter to the support 15.I

' larly in copending applications Serial Nos. 594,152 and in covered bya circular filter plate 32 which is concave on its inner surface, saidplates preferably being of porous material such as sintered metal whichhas substantially no individual pores extending completely through thefilter wall.

Positioned in the casing 21 is a ball valve 36 which 611,231. Each ofthe units 59 has an inlet port 61 con-v nected by common line 62 toreservoir 12 and a control port 63 connected to the associated coupling58". In addition each unit 59 has, a normally closed valve 64 whichcontrols flow of gas under pressure from reservoir 12 to control port 63and a normally open valve 65 which controls discharge of gas from thecontrol port 63 to exhaust port 66 ofthe 'valve unit.

Mounted on the top of the casing 21 over the inlet- 22 is a supplyhopper 67 secured in position as by screws 68 which extend through aflange 69 at the bot: tom of the hopper.

The material in the hopper flows therefrom in the manner to bedescribed, into a magazine 71 mounted, beneath the outlet 23 of theblowing head and secured in position as by screws 70.

As shown in Fig. 2, the magazine 71 comprises an outer casing 72 whichhas a filter liner 73 therein slightly spaced from the adjacent wall ofthe casing. The liner may also be of porous material such as sinteredmetal, and illustratively is a sleeve which has an annular flange 74 atits lower end seated in an annular recess 75 in the lower end of thecasing 72. The upper end 76 of the liner 73 is retained against asealing ring 77 positioned against an annular shoulder 78 near the topof casing 72.

Releasably secured to the lower end of the casing 72 as by screws 79 isa cup shaped member 31 which illustratively has two parallel recesses 82herein, each with a discharge port 83 at its bottom. Secured to theunderside of member 81 is a filter member 84, illustratively a plate ofsintered metal which has openings 84 therethrough aligned with the ports83 and Which extends over cavities 85 in the undersurface of member 81adjacent the ports 83, said cavities 85 being vented to the atmospherethrough ports 86.

The casing 72 has a plurality of ports 91 leading into the space 92between the casing 72 and the liner 73 and said ports are connected bylines 93 through one way valves 94 and manually operated flow regulatingvalves 95 to an associated coupling 58'.

. The standards 12 and 13 also slidably mount a support 96 which has acircular recess 97 therein in which a piston 98 is slidably mounted.Secured to the upper end of the piston is a plate 9.9 on-whicha core box101 may. be positioned, said core box having recesses 102 therein. whichmay be aligned with the ports 83 of the magazine.

Desirably a pressure line 103 is connected to the lower end of recess 97to raise the piston 98 so that the core Patented I Mar. 31, 19 59 box101 may be clamped against the porous plate 84 when the recesses 102 areto be charged.

In the operation of the unit, the ball valve 36 is rotated by lever 37so that the diametric passageway 38 is disposed vertically to permitmaterial to flow from the hopper 67 through the valve to charge themagazine 71. After the .magazine is charged, the ball valve 36 isrotated to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the diametricpassageway 38 is aligned withporous plates 32 and the radial passageway39 is vertically aligned with the magazine 71.

Thereupon the solenoid units 59 are energized to open valves 64 andclose valves 65. Consequently gas under pressure will, flow fromreservoir 12 through line 62, ports 61 of units 59, open valves 64,control ports 63 and passageways 55 through porous plates 32 to reactagainst the material at each end of the diametric passageway 38,

thereby forcing the body of material in the T-shaped cavity in the valvein a generally downward direction. The application of such source of gasunder pressure against the material in the ball valve, which is abovethe magazine, will cause the material in the magazine also to move in agenerally downward direction to eject such material through the ports 83into the recesses 102 in the core box 101 to fill such recesses 102 witha compacted charge of material.

By reason of the porous plate 84 and the vented cavities 85 in member81, gas from the recesses 102 will be discharged to the atmosphere toinsure effective compacting of material in the recesses 102, the porousplate 84 restraining passage of any material therethrough.

Simultaneously with the application of gas under pressure to the ends ofthe diametric passageway 38 in the valve 36, gas under pressure willalso be applied from coupling 58 through line 93, and valves 95 and 94into ports 91 of magazine 71. The gas entering such ports will bedispersed through the porous liner 73 to react against the side wall ofthe column of material in the magazine.

As a result of the lateral pressure effected by the gas entering ports91, the column of material in the magazine will be compacted laterally,thereby preventing or at least greatly minimizing any channeling actionby the gas under pressurereacting against such column of material tourge it generally downwardly for ejection through ports 83.

In addition, by reason of the film of gas encompassing the column ofmaterial in the magazine, its downward movement will be aided for morerapid discharge through ports 83.

By reason of the porous liner 73, the gas under pressure passingtherethrough will be dispersed over a large area. Hence there will be noconcentrated gas stream which might cause lateral channeling in suchmaterial and introduction of relatively large quantities of such gasinto the material forced into the recesses in the core box withresultant ineffective compaction of such material.

By reason of the fiow control valves 95, the quantity of gas enteringthe ports 91 in a given period may be regulated with respect to thequantity of air in a given period reacting against the material throughthe ends of the diametric passageway 38. Thus the valves 95 areregulated so that the gas entering ports 91 will be suflicient tocompact the material laterally to prevent vertical channeling of gas,yet not suflicient to prevent downward movement of the column ofmaterial in the magazine for discharge through ports 83.

' After the flow cycle is completed and the recesses in the core box 101are filled, the solenoid units 59 are deenergized to close valves 64 andopen valves 65. By reason of the check valves 94, no gas will flowthrough line 93 and the gas in the magazine and in the valve 38 willdischarge through open valve 65 and exhaust port,

66, the upward movement of such gas agitating the material in themagazine to prevent lumping thereof.

Thereupon the gas pressure to recess 97 is cut off so that the piston 98will fall by gravity, permitting removal of the charged core box.

With some materials it may be found that there is too much breaking upof the material remaining in the magazine after the blowing cycle if allthe gas in the magazine is permitted to escape upwardly through themagazine. This might interfere with efifective compacting and in suchcase the check valve may be eliminated so that some of the gas willescape laterally to provide some lumping effect.

With the equipment above described, as a minimum of channeling of gaswill occur, highly effective compacting may be secured in the recessesof the core box, of the material contained in the magazine.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanyingdrawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A magazine forcomminuted material, said magazine having a casing with an inlet and anoutlet, a filter member of porous material in said casing adjacent thewall thereof, said filter member being of the type having sub stantiallyno individual pores extending completely through the wall thereof, meansto apply a source of gas under pressure against the contents of saidmagazine to effect movement of such contents through said outlet, andmeans to apply the source of gas under pressure through said filtermember to apply pressure against the contents of said magazine indirection substantially at right angles to the direction of movement ofsuch contents.

2. A magazine for comminuted material, said magazine having a casingwith an inlet and an outlet, a filter member of sintered metal in saidcasing adjacent the wall thereof, means to apply a source of gas underpressure against the contents of said magazine to effect movement ofsuch contents through said outlet, means to apply the source of gasunder pressure through said filter member to apply pressure against thecontents of said magazine in direction substantially at right angles tothe direction of movement of such contents, and means to regulate thequantity of gas per unit time fed through the filter member with respectto that fed against the contents of said magazine.

3. Equipment of the character described, comprising a casing having aninlet and an outlet, a ball valve in said casing having a passagewaydiametriclly therethrough and a passageway intersecting said diametricpassageway, means to rotate said ball to a first position such that thediametric passageway provides a communication between said inlet andsaid outlet and to a second position such that the intersectingpassageway is in communication with said outlet and the inlet is cut 0E,a magazine having a casing in communication with the outlet of said ballvalve casing and an outlet, a filter member in said magazine casingadjacent the wall thereof, means to apply a source of gas under pressureagainst the ends of said diametric passageway to effect movement of thecontents of the magazine through the outlet thereof and means to apply asource of gas under pressure through said filtermember to apply pressureagainst the contents of said magazine in direction substantially atright angles to the direction of movement of such contents. I

4. The combination set forth in claim3 in which means are provided toregulate the quantity of gas per unit time fed through the filter memberwith respect to that fed against the ends of the diametric passageway.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the casing of saidmagazine has a port to which the source of gas under pressure isconnected and a one-way valve is operatively connected to said port topermit flow of gas in direction only toward said port.

6. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which the casing of saidmagazine has a port and said valve casing has a filter member therein,said diametric passageway in said ball valve is adapted to be alignedwith said filter member when said ball valve is in said second position,said valve casing has a passageway in communication with the outersurface of said filter member, to which the source of gas under pressuremay be connected, and a line is in communication at one end with saidpassageway and at its other end with the port in said magazine.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which a flow valve isconnected in said line.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which a one ay valve isconnected in said line.

9. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which a flow valve isconnected in said line and a one way valve is also connected in saidline between said flow valve and said port, said one way valvepermitting flow in direction only toward said port.

10. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which a valve unit isprovided having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of gasunder pressure, a control port connected to said casing passageway andan exhaust port, said valve unit having a normally closed valve betweensaid inlet port and said control port, and a normally open valve betweensaid control port and said exhaust port, said valves being ganged tooperate in unison.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,611,938 Hansberg Sept. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 557,503 Germany Feb.8, 1932

